Detroit – Aldrich Potgieter peeked at the rankings and then placed the putter at the top of the ninth green, knowing he had to let the 12-foot bird break the tie with Kevin Roy.
Putter plundered the left edge and Potgieter missed a chance to set a record day after taking the first round lead on Thursday’s Rocket Classic.
“I really want to do that putter,” he said.
Potgieter and Roy broke the 18-hole record in the game with 62 and 10 shots respectively.
The Detroit Golf Club has been one of the easiest courses since the PGA Tour’s annual stay in 2019. A pair of Korn Ferry graduates make the most of it.
Potgieter, a 20-year-old South African who grew up in Australia, started at 10th and set a championship record with 29-shot 7 shots in the last nine games. He and Roy, 35, had one eagle and eight birdies on bogey-free play, respectively.
Roy’s drive went into 300 yards for 578 yards, 5-17, and his second ball went for another 288 yards, his rough chip rolling from 30 feet.
“There were only one day clicking those days,” Roy said. “I was shocked that my 5 wood went so far. I had 279 needles. I didn’t hit the 5 wood, but maybe a little adrenaline or something happened.”
Apart from the races of Roy and Potgieter, they can’t compare to vegetables on short tracks, and they are more acceptable than usual in recent rain.
“It’s easy,” Andrew Putnam said after he was 64.
Min Woo Lee, Max Greyserman and Mark Hubbard were two shots in seven players after matching the 63-game former championship record.
Lee struggled in Oakmont during the U.S. Open and during the Memorial, Lee loved playing Detroit Golf Club.
“I’m really excited this week,” he said. “I want to hit the tough spot and actually get hit by the green.
While the course is as easy as usual, the game is relatively strong for many top players’ past games.
The field includes nine of the world’s 50 players, led by No. 5 Collin Morikawa, who opened with a 69-point mark after separating from the caddie for the second time this year.
KK Limbhasut, Morikawa’s California teammate and Korn Tour Ferry player, became a caddie this week while Morikawa was trying to find what he was looking for on his schoolbag.
“It’s like asking a 20-year-old or 15-year-old, what does your future wife look like, right?” Morikava asked. “You can say a lot, but just because you say it doesn’t mean it actually merges.
“It’s a partnership. We both give, we both accept it. For me, it’s being able to trust them comfortably and have a great time there.”
Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley is ranked seventh in the world with a shooting percentage of 68 after winning the Travelers Championship in Connecticut last week.
The idea of Bradley in Bethpage Black in New York against Europe on Bethpage Black in New York from September 28-30 was to cheer up among American players and fans.
“Put yourself on the team!” a man shouted to Bradley, who did not respond to the suggestion when he signed the card on foot after the first round.
